OTI ‘Tool Box’

Stakeholder Dialogue Tables

Multi-party Political Stakeholder Dialogue (MSD): The broadest, most inclusive and apex OTI dialogue forum with the participation of the parties represented in Parliament. Different levels of policy intervention through stakeholders at national policy making processes.

Consensus Building Forum (CBF): Only platform in Sri Lanka where Tamil Speaking parties (both Tamil & Muslim Parties) with or without Parliamentary representation meet to discuss the issues affecting their communities at this National Level discussion.

Young Political Leaders Forum (YPLF): A Platform for young political leaders representing all key political parties in Sri Lankan polity to bring exposure to consensus building and problem solving techniques respecting the conflict sensitive approaches. Also aimed at creating efficient and productive political managers by helping them to expand their continuum of decision and policy making ability and developing a set of political leaders who believe in human rights and responsibilities on the lines of human dignity, empathy, rule of law, responsibility and transparency.

District Dialogue Forums (DDF): Multi-party political stakeholder dialogue platforms for 2nd tier politicians at district levels to build consensus on issues at grass-root level and to contribute to the discussions at the national process through MSD/CBF and YPLF and.

Bilateral Meetings / Short Tables: Occasional, single-time or short-duration processes to allow two or more Stakeholders to come together to meet on issues of timely concern and to generate multiple options.

Panel Discussions and Workshops with outside actors: Two of many tools used for engaging perspectives from a broader range of actors as well as floating possible ideas and options/strategies in a broader forum. These events appear to ‘standalone’ or be part of a partner organizations own events and activities, strengthening the process as a public discourse-building exercise to support generating multiple options.

Stakeholder Retreats: Short-term events bringing participants away from their community/city to a location where they are accommodated together. Providing a space away from their normal engagements for committed focus on specific issues. Also often particularly helpful for relationship building.

Engagement with the Sri Lankan Diaspora: Sensitization and engagement with the Sri Lankan Diaspora (Action for reconciliation) to obtain viable inputs to policy formation in bringing a lasting solution to the conflict.

Research & Research Outputs: Both the process of research and its outputs contribute to enhance the quality of the OTI process and to eliminate data-conflicts.

Future Scenario Planning: Provides a vital service in the dialogue process. FSP sessions include stakeholders developing scenarios / outcomes for how they would like to see issues addressed and resolved, as well as Future Scenario Planning to provide prognosis and assessment of unfolding situations and possible/probably likely scenarios and development directions, providing stakeholders and organizers with the opportunity to prepare appropriate mitigation strategies and to plan accordingly. FSP also stands as the base for formulating the facilitation strategy of OTI.